Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for guiding flat or sheet-like copies in folders, in particular such folded copies as are severed from a continuous material web.
In folders arranged downline in web-processing rotary printing machines, stationarily accommodated copy guides are arranged downline from a cutting nip of a cutting-cylinder pair. Such stationary copy guides are usually configured so that they correspond, with respect to the width thereof, to the width of the maximum processable web format and are configured, with respect to the extent of the guide nip thereof, so that the distance between the lateral surfaces bounding the guide nip corresponds to the thickness of a maximum processable material-web strand. With stationary copy guides arranged downline from a cutting nip of a cutting-cylinder pair, it is possible to guide a leading end of a material web through an outlet wedge of the cutting-cylinder pair into an inlet region with mutually cooperating transport belts, so that the copies severed from the material web in the cutting nip do not remain beyond control as they pass out of the outlet wedge of the cutting-cylinder pair into the inlet wedge of the downline transport-belt pair.
Stationary copy guides which are arranged downline from a cutting-cylinder pair encounter limitations with respect to the copy-guide quality that can be achieved therewith in the case of narrow web widths. In particular, when the width of the material web which is to be processed exceeds the width of stationary copy guides, stationary copy guides in the outlet wedge of a cutting-cylinder pair do not constitute a satisfactory solution. Furthermore, stationary copy guides do not allow individual adaptation of the guide surfaces to the thickness of the material-web strand; in addition, stationary copy guides cannot be removed readily from the installation region thereof downline from the cutting-cylinder pair. The hereinaforementioned stationary copy guides are described, for example, in the French Patent 2 751 630 or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,365.
Another possible construction, heretofore known from the published European Patent Document EP 0 400 596 A1, for improving copy guidance between a cutting nip of a cutting-cylinder pair and downline transport belts calls for providing between the transport-belt lines, on both sides of the incoming web, blowing or blast nozzles which are directed into the gap between the web and the cutting cylinder, and in arranging, on the circumferential surface of one of the cutting cylinders of the cutting-cylinder pair, annular grooves for a through-passage of the blowing or blast air. The blowing or blast air passing out of the blowing or blast nozzles is removed again to the greatest extent by suction nozzles assigned to the inlet region of the transport belts.
In view of the outlined developments heretofore known from the prior art, the object of the invention is to provide a copy guide for sheet-like copies that is adapted automatically to the respective material-web format which is to be processed and to the thickness of the material web, and can be set back from the outlet wedge of the cutting-cylinder pair.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a device for guiding sheet-like copies which are severed from a material web in a cutting nip of a cutting-cylinder pair, comprising a copy guide disposed in an outlet wedge of the cutting-cylinder pair for gripping leading ends of the sheet-like copies for guiding the copies, the copy guide including revolving transport elements, and actuating drives for displacing the revolving transport elements in a lateral direction so as to adapt the transport elements to different positions and widths of material webs.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, a respective copy guide is assigned to each side region of the material web.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, a plurality of the copy guides arranged on both sides of the material web which is to be processed are displaceable symmetrically in relation to a machine center.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the copy guides arranged on both sides of the material web which is to be processed are displaceable independently of one another in relation to the machine center.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, to the copy guide there is assigned an actuating drive for positioning the copy guide within a displacement distance in a region of a side edge of the material web in accordance with the width of a copy.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the copy guide includes pairwise driven rotary bodies and driving rotary bodies, about which the transport elements are revolvable.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the guiding device includes drives integrated in the copy guides for driving the driving rotary bodies.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, each copy guide comprises an actuating cylinder for displacing a mount including rotary bodies into a position wherein the material web is gripped thereby, and into a position wherein the material web is not gripped thereby.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, pairs of the rotary bodies, respectively, are formed with a gap having a variable opening between the rotary bodies thereof.
In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the gap is bounded by the driven transport elements.
In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, the guiding device includes pivotable carriers wherein the driven rotary bodies are accommodated, relative to the rotary bodies, respectively, which drive them.
In accordance with still an added feature of the invention, the pivotable carriers are pivotable relative to the driving rotary bodies in order to vary the extent of opening of the gap.
In accordance with still an additional feature of the invention, the transport elements are configured as axially spaced-apart transport belts.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the material web leaving the cutting nip is guidable by the transport elements on both sides of the material web, without any relative speed, along a gripping region.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the driven transport elements are arranged on mutually opposite sides of the material web as well as on both sides of the material web.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, there is provided a folder having a guiding device for guiding a material web in a cutting nip of a cutting-cylinder pair, wherein sheet-like copies are severed from the material web, the cutting-cylinder pair comprising a copy guide disposed in an outlet wedge of the cutting-cylinder pair for gripping leading ends of sheet-like copies severed from the web for guiding the copies, the copy guide including revolving transport elements, and actuating drives for displacing the revolving transport elements in a lateral direction so as to adapt the transport elements to different positions and widths of material webs.
The advantages of the embodiments according to the invention can be seen, in particular, in that the copies passing through the outlet wedge of the cutting-cylinder pair are now guided on both sides along a gripping region by conveying surfaces which are moved along as well, with the result that the situation wherein individual layers of a multilayered sheet-like copy flap open or become detached is effectively prevented as the copies pass through the outlet wedge of the cutting-cylinder pair, which is located downline from the cutting nip. Due to the driven transporting elements of the copy-guiding arrangement, the transporting elements being formed, for example, in belt form, the sheet-like copies can be guided through the outlet wedge into an inlet region of transport belts without any occurrence of disruptive relative speed. Furthermore, it is also possible for the copy guides, which are adjustable according to the invention relative to the material-web format which is to be processed, to be set back, or moved out, fully from the outlet wedge of a cutting-cylinder pair, with the result that the wedge is fully accessible for maintenance work, for example, for exchanging grooved bars and/or cutting knives.
In a preferred embodiment of the concept upon which the invention is based, a copy guide, respectively, is assigned to the side region of the material web. This makes it possible to achieve the situation wherein, in particular in the case of multilayered material webs, air enclosed in the region of the first longitudinal fold formed in the folder can be pressed out of the layers. Furthermore, the material web is prevented from flapping open at the open end by the copy-guiding arrangement assigned to the open end of a multilayered material web. Due to the engagement of the copy-guiding arrangement, which is assigned to the folding spine of the sheet-like copy, with the fold, the first longitudinal fold is formed with better quality even as the sheet-like copy passes through to the cylinder executing the actual cross-folding operations.
In order to increase the flexibility with respect to the processable web formats, it is possible for the copy guides arranged on both sides of the material web which is to be processed, respectively, to be displaced preferably both symmetrically in relation to the machine center and independently of one another in relation to the machine center. This takes into account the circumstance wherein, in the case of separate jobs, the material webs from which the individual copies are severed in the cutting nip of the cutting-cylinder pair do not always run centrally onto the cutting-cylinder pair. By means of the embodiments provided according to the invention, it is also possible for eccentrically guided material webs from which copies are severed to be gripped on both side regions during passage through the outlet wedge of the cutting-cylinder pair.
Each copy guide may advantageously have a first actuating drive assigned thereto by which the copy guide can be positioned highly accurately, within a displacement distance or spacing, against the side regions of the material web which is to be processed, the side regions being positioned in dependence upon the web format, respectively. The preferably stepless or infinite displaceability of the copy-guiding devices which is achieved in this way may be brought about, for example, via threaded spindles on which the copy-guiding arrangements are displaceably accommodated. Furthermore, each copy guide arranged on a side wall of the folder preferably comprises an actuating cylinder by which a copy-guide mount which comprises rotary bodies can be adjusted into a position wherein it grips the copy, and into a position wherein it does not grip the copy. In order to achieve extremely brief adjusting times between the active and the inactive positions of the respective copy guide, the actuating cylinder is preferably constructed as a pneumatic cylinder. The positioning, proposed according to the invention, of the copy guides against both sides of the material web which is to be processed thus makes it possible, first of all, for the copy guides to be positioned in a preliminary manner in accordance with the material-web width which is to be processed and, in a second step, for the transporting elements guiding the copies or the leading end of a material web to be advanced up to, or withdrawn from, the respective side regions at the open end and/or on the folding spine of the sheet-like copy. This likewise makes it possible for the copy-guiding arrangements, which are preferably formed by two rotary bodies which have an endless transport belt wrapped around them, to be moved out of the region of the outlet wedge very quickly by the activation of the actuating cylinder, in the case of a paper jam, in order to avoid damage.
In a preferred configuration, each copy guide comprises two pairs of rotary bodies each of which includes a driven rotary body and a driving rotary body, around which preferably belt-like transport elements revolve. In order for the sheet-like copy to be guided without any relative speed, the rotary bodies accommodated on the copy-guiding arrangements, preferably on both sides of the material web, are driven with the aid of drives integrated in the copy guide. These drives are preferably constructed as small electric motors, and drive the transport elements in a conveying direction of the sheet-like copies along the gripping region.
The transport elements are preferably configured in the form of belts and, spaced apart axially, are accommodated on the copy-guide rotary bodies which drive them. In order for the sheet-like copies passing through the outlet wedges to be handled as carefully as possible, the transport elements may be provided with friction-reducing coatings. The transport elements, which revolve around the rotary bodies of the copy guides, are preferably formed so that they grip the sheet-like copies on both sides along a vertically oriented gripping region.
In an advantageous configuration of the copy guides, a gap with a variable extent of opening is formed between the pairs of rotary bodies on the copy guides. The gap is bounded by the driven transporting elements, preferably configured in the form of belts, and, by pivoting of the driven rotary bodies, can be adjusted to a narrower or wider extent in relation to the driving rotary bodies. This may be necessary in order for the displaceable copy guides, formed in accordance with the invention, on both sides of the material web to be adapted in optimum fashion to the thickness, i.e., the number of layers of the material webs which are to be processed. In order to vary the extent of the gap in the region of the copy guides, the driven rotary bodies, around which the transport elements, preferably configured in the form of belts, revolve, are accommodated in pivotable carriers.
In a further embodiment of the concept upon which the invention is based, it is possible to arrange in an outlet wedge, arranged downline from a cutting nip of a cutting-cylinder pair, likewise revolving transport elements, which are preferably likewise constructed in the form of belts and can be driven directly via the deflecting rollers of the transport elements, with the result that the sheet-like copies leaving the cutting nip and/or the leading end of the material web are enclosed on both sides by belt-like transport elements and can be introduced into the inlet region of the transport belts without flapping open or deviating in some other way from the vertical transporting path.
The embodiment proposed in accordance with the invention comprises a positionable copy guide which operates without any relative speed in relation to the sheet-like copies and can preferably be used in folders of web-processing rotary printing machines. Folders arranged downline from the web-fed rotary printing machines may be combination folders and conventionally operating folders as well as folders operating without pins, it being possible for these to produce 48, 64 and 96-page copies.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a device for guiding flat or sheet-like copies in folders, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.